Dollars and Cents ... and ADHD | ADHD Information
Just figured I'd ask. How much, on average, do you figure ADHD is costing your family?
(Yeah. I know this is relevant to everybody in the ADHD/ADD community. I just couldn't find a general forum in which to post.)
We're very fortunate to have a good insurance plan. Right now, we're paying (out of 0 list price) a month for my son's Strattera prescription. And, starting later this month, he'll be in counseling (with a co-pay every other week) and academic tutoring ( a week.) And there's the chiropractor who (bless him) charges a flat 00 a year and gives my son unlimited adjustments (right now, once a week.)
So that's a grand total of about 2 a month... but I suspect we're among the lucky ones. And I'm completely omitting the money we've already paid for all sorts of things. I'm only figuring ongoing, current, expenses.
How about you?
There's gotta be a better way.
Yeah. I just wondered how those supplements help with ADHD. (The sneaky me might like to buy some for DS ... and undiagnosed DH! lol!!! ) I understand your frustration with the cost. Have you looked into Nuerofeedback. It is initially expensive, but my son has been off of meds for 8 months, doing well in school and has avoided the nasty side effects of meds.
Interesting subject.
We too have good insurance, but still pay a lot due to the need for academic tutoring.
My son is on Concerta/guanfacine/generic Zoloft which I get through mail order for a 90 day supply. Concerta has no generic, so it is for a 90 day supply(a bargain because he takes a HIGH dose). Guanfacine is for a 90 day supply. This summer the patent expired on Zoloft so I now get the generic for only for a 90 day supply. That makes his ADHD meds average $ 18 per month. Add another per month for Omega 3 supplement. Monthly psychiatrist visit is copay, plus copay per month for 2 psychologist visits (CBT). Academic tutoring is about 0 per month for 2 sessions per week. Grand total for just the ADHD related care is around 3 per month excluding any kind of testing or assessments, which we've paid thousands for over the years.
Without having mail order pharmacy benefits, the drug costs would be a killer for us. We are so thankful for mail order benefits. ADHD costs are very high. Without insurance, I don't know how we could afford it. Okiemom
[QUOTE=emergent][QUOTE=lovemyboy]I pay per month for his ritalinSR, per month for the omegas, for B complex and for his cal/mag supplement. [/QUOTE]
cal/mag?
[/QUOTE] calcium and magnesiumWe spend about for the guanfacine (walmart list), .00 for the periactin (cyproheptadine, generic) and the Ritalin LA we get for on a patient assistance program, because our insurance is only major medical...no prescription coverage. For the same reason, we pay full price for our ped appointments which range from - over 0 depending on how much she does at the visit...the level maybe? I don't know but she is worth it. We have no coverage for psychiatric services, so we have not gone that route at all. Fortunately, Chase seems to be doing OK w/o it for now....so that is .00 a month, w/o any doctor visits....but last month we had one and this month another because of recent med changes...I pay per month for his ritalinSR, per month for the omegas, for B complex and for his cal/mag supplement. ADHD can be expensive.
[QUOTE=lovemyboy]I pay per month for his ritalinSR, per month for the omegas, for B complex and for his cal/mag supplement. [/QUOTE]
cal/mag?
I pay 10 for doctor co-pays ( once ever three months), 15 a week for OT, and 10 dollars for meds...we have really good insurance. calcium and magnesium supplements, I think.....[QUOTE=bherb]I understand your frustration with the cost. Have you looked into Nuerofeedback. It is initially expensive, but my son has been off of meds for 8 months, doing well in school and has avoided the nasty side effects of meds.[/QUOTE]
I've been trying to talk DH into it for a few years, now (ever since a friend whose son has CP saw some dramatic results 
)
I'll take a look around here, and check out the pertinent discussions. Thanks for the suggestion. 
Kelly H, a neuro psych is a different animal than the regular psychiatrist that most people see. More specialized, more money.
We pay only after our yearly 00 in our insurance is gone, then at 10 or 20% depending on the provider. So, we paid very little so far. Knock, knock!! (the sound of me knocking wood!) We haven't had to do any therapy because on the spectrum of how "bad" adhd can be, my son's is very mild, from what I can tell from reading here. I wish that more money went into discovering what causes adhd and what can prevent it, just like other conditions that are becoming widespread in our world, like diabetes and obesity.
We paid very close to 00 for our family's ADD care, appts were the most expensive even with insurance (out of network provider). Medication came in a close 2nd. I also spent about 00 to go to the chadd conference in Chicago. No wonder we are broke. If you want to add in my medical expences for the anxiety the ADD has caused the family... about another 0.
It wont be as expensive this year. everyone diagnosed and being treated. The real expensive stuff is over.
Holy crap man!!! 00 for a neuro psych???? I'm wondering how good ours was. It was covered by insurance and we paid 5 for the educational part of it. But I'm reading that some people had tests for their kids that were 6-8 hours. Ours was barely 2 1/2 hours long. And it was by a child psychologist.
So far, the Daytrana is still free with the 40 free patch card. I just bought some Omega 3's (nasty things...orange/chocolate pudding my butt....then the oil taste hits you!...ick) for ...but I won't buy those again. I'll stick to a pill form. We haven't started any therapy, but I already called our insurance and it's a copay for up to 25 sessions a year. Our insurance is pretty good, too. Once we start paying, brand name meds are a month (though I haven't looked into mail order. Might definitely be a cheaper alternative.) Regular pediatrician copays are only . And I have no idea how much tonight's sleep disorder study is going to cost us, though I know insurance will cover almost all of it.
Let's see, there are the doctor appts quarterly; psychologist as needed; social group class; guanfacine /month; Ritalin LA 30/month. And for me antidepressants /month; retail therapy; babysitters so I can get the f--- out of here for a break
.0 per month, plus the 00 neuro-psyche eval a few months back. Oh, and then there's the OT and weekly therapy covered by insurance. Yeah. Those screening appointments seem to go on forever and ever ... and they cost big bucks.
Seems like having decent insurance is the only way to survive, and even then ...
emergent39094.8045138889Thankfully my son is on Sooner care which is like medicaid and I don't have to pay anything.
His meds are about 0 per month and the psychiatrist and the psychologist he was seeing is about 5-5 an hr. And he saw his psychologist once a week and his psychiatrist once a month.
So without his insurance it would be costing me 75 per month.
Thank you dear lord for his sooner care.
of Adderall XR, two different dosages (morning and noon). His private
school costs about 0 more per month than before-and-after-school
day care would be, and there is no end in sight (I was a latchkey kid at
nine). About 0 at Christmas and again at the end of the school year
for gifts for his teacher, the secretary who gives him his meds, and class
aides, who all have to put out extra effort with him. I am lucky that my ex
willingly pays half of his tuition and half of all medical costs.